# Rise of the Court King
## Chapter 1: The Humiliation
The gymnasium echoed with the sound of sneakers squeaking against polished hardwood and the rhythmic bounce of basketballs. Dante Rodriguez wiped the sweat from his forehead as he watched his teammates run drills, their movements fluid and confident. At twenty-two, he should have been in his prime, but instead, he found himself riding the bench for Madison University's basketball team.
"Rodriguez! You're up!" Coach Williams barked from the sideline.
Dante's heart raced as he jogged onto the court. This was it—his chance to prove he belonged with the starters. The scrimmage was intense, with scouts from several professional teams watching from the bleachers. This could change everything.
The ball came his way, and Dante drove toward the basket with determination. He'd practiced this move a thousand times. As he went up for the layup, everything seemed to slow down. The rim was right there, victory within reach.
Then Marcus Thompson, the team's star center and Dante's longtime rival, came out of nowhere. The collision was brutal—Marcus's elbow connecting with Dante's face in what looked like an accident but felt intentional. Dante crashed to the floor, his vision blurring as blood poured from his broken nose.
"Oh man, sorry Rodriguez! Didn't see you there," Marcus said with a smirk that only Dante could see, offering a fake helping hand.
The gymnasium fell silent except for the sound of Dante's labored breathing. He could feel dozens of eyes on him—teammates, coaches, scouts, students in the stands. Some were concerned, but others... others were snickering.
"Get him to the nurse," Coach Williams said dismissively. "Thompson, good defensive play. Keep that intensity."
As Dante was helped off the court, he caught fragments of conversations:
"...always been weak..."
"...why is he even on the team..."
"...dad probably donated money..."
That last comment stung the most because it was true. Dante's father, a successful businessman, had made significant contributions to the university's athletic program. Everyone knew it, and everyone assumed that's why Dante had a scholarship.
In the nurse's office, Dante stared at his reflection in the small mirror. His nose was definitely broken, and his left eye was already swelling shut. But the physical pain was nothing compared to the humiliation burning in his chest.
His phone buzzed with notifications. Social media was already alive with videos of his embarrassing fall. #BenchWarmerBroken was trending on campus Twitter. The comments were merciless:
*"Dude got DESTROYED 😂"*
*"Maybe stick to accounting, Rodriguez"*
*"Daddy's money can't buy skills"*
The worst part was seeing Marcus Thompson's post: a picture of himself flexing with the caption "Defense wins championships 💪 #NoEasyBuckets"
Dante's hands shook as he scrolled through the endless mockery. Three years of riding the bench, three years of being seen as the rich kid who bought his way onto the team, three years of humiliation—and this was the breaking point.
That night, alone in his dorm room, Dante sat on his bed staring at the recruitment letter from overseas that had arrived that morning. A small professional team in Lithuania was offering him a contract—not much money, but a chance to actually play. His father would be furious. His teammates would probably throw a party.
"I can't do this anymore," he whispered to the empty room, crumpling the letter in his fist.
As if responding to his despair, his phone screen flickered strangely. For a moment, strange symbols appeared across the display—geometric patterns that hurt to look at directly. Then, as suddenly as it had started, everything went black.
When Dante opened his eyes, he was no longer in his dorm room.
He stood in what appeared to be an infinite white space, with a single basketball floating in front of him. The ball pulsed with a soft, otherworldly light.
"Finally," a voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere. "I have found a worthy host."
"What... where am I?" Dante's voice cracked.
"You are at the crossroads of destiny, Dante Rodriguez. I am the Court System, and I have been waiting for someone like you—someone who has tasted failure, someone who understands humiliation, someone who burns with the desire to prove everyone wrong."
The glowing basketball drifted closer. "Touch me, and I will give you the power to become everything you've ever dreamed of. But know this—once you accept, there is no turning back. You will be bound to chase greatness, to push beyond every limit, to become the Court King."
Dante's hand trembled as he reached out. Behind him, he could hear the echoes of laughter, the cruel comments, Marcus Thompson's smug voice. Ahead, the promise of power, of respect, of finally being more than just the rich kid who bought his way onto the team.
Without hesitation, he grasped the basketball.
The world exploded into light.
When Dante opened his eyes again, he was back in his dorm room. But something was different. Floating in his vision, like a video game interface, were glowing words:
[COURT SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
[HOST: DANTE RODRIGUEZ]
[CURRENT LEVEL: 1]
[BASKETBALL SKILL: F-RANK]
[WELCOME TO YOUR REBIRTH]
A slow smile spread across Dante's bruised face.
The humiliation was over.
The rise of the Court King had begun.